Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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STATE ORATORICAL CONTEST. A. H. Williams, Jr., Given Second Place. With the eyes of the college world of South Carolina centered on Rock Hill and before much of that world represented in the Winthrop College auditorium Friday evening, April 26, -Mr. H. S. Petrea, of Newberry College, won first place in the 13th annual contest of the South Carolina Intercollegiate Oratorical Associa tion. Mr. A. H. Williams, Caro lina's representative, won second place, losing, as he did in last year's contest, the first hotior by a single point in the final combined grada tions on both composition and deliv ery. Mr. R. T. Wilson of .Wofford College won third place. Many Visitors. It was a red letter (lay for Rock Hill. All day the streets were thronged with visitors. Hotel ac comolations were early exhausted, after which the Commercial Club secured stopping places for those without rooms. Students from Wof ford and the Presbyterian College arrived in the city Thursday night in order to be on hand forr Friday's double-header between the teams of those two institutions, and every train Friday brought its quota of college representatives. Winthrop Glee Club. An attractive feature of the pro gram was music rendered by the \Vinthrop Glee Club and chorus. Each of their live selections was generously applauded, and on two occasions they respon(le(l to encores. The Judges. The judges were: Senators G. H. Bates of Barnwell and P. L. Hardin of Bascomville; \Ir. .Whitehead Kluttz of Salisbury, N. C.; Prof. James Douglass of D)avidson Col lege, and Dr. E. 0. WVatson of Columbia. The Program. \Iusic, \\'inithrop Choral Society. Prayer, Rev. Alex Martin. Address of welcome, C. M. Lind say. 1. "A Call to College Men," A. C. Hiers. Jr., The Citadel. 2. "What Remains to be Done.' E. A. Fuller, Presbyterian College. 3. "Future Democracy in South Carolina',' RZ. T. Wilson, Wofford College. Music, WVinthrop) Glee Club. 4. "Preservation of Representa tive Governmenit," J. S. McInnes, Charleston College. 5. "The Progress of the Nations Towards Peace," WV. Marshall Bridges, Furman University. 6. "The Indifferent Citizen," H. S. Petrea, Newbherry College. Music, Winthrop) Glee Club. 7. "'Untamedl," David T. Lauder dlale, Erskine College. 8. "The Needs of a Nation," D. B. Hill, Clemson College. 9. "Behold the Dreamer Cometh,'' A. H. WVilliams, Jr., University of Sdmth Caronann Music, Wofford Glee Club. Decision of judges. Music, "Good Night," Winthrop Glee Club. "THE INDIFFERENT CITIZEN" Synopsis of Mr. Petrea's Winning Oration. Mr. Petrea defnned the indifferent citizen as the man of character, the Christian, the cultured man, and those who cannot be bribed. "Civic apathy is most prevalent among that very element of citizens wlho is most essential to the maintenance of pub lic purity and a high standard of cit izership." It is not the ignorant. selfish and corrupt, but the good, respectable, well-meaning men who neglect their civic duties. "I%difference to civic responsibil ity cannot be justified. The real rea son for it is that good men are too deeply engrossed in private pursuits to discharge their civic duties. It is high time for some Southern States to raise less cotton and raise better men to public office. "Others refrain from participa tion in politics because of the cor ruption therein. But this condition does not alter their duty. The obli gation is thereby made the more im perative upon good men to come forward and redeem politics. Polit ical abuses will never reform them selves. Good men must (o it. They can do it only by entering the fight for clean government, not by ignor ing political evils. The only thing that can save this State and nation in the present political crisis and re sult in permanent purity and patriot ism in politics is the intelligent and persistent activity of good men be hind the ballot. "The failure of these good men to exercise the electoral office in the interest -of good, clean government is largely responsible for present political evils. It is not the running stream of ptublic spirit, but the stag nant pool of contented indifference that breeds disease in the body politic. No government is better than its best men make it. nor worse than they permit it to become. Men may criticize, but corruption will continue as long as good men con lone it by their indifference. "A.* protest of w~ordls can never equal a protest of the ballot. The mien who make for good govern ment sp)eak to us in dleeds not words. WVhen good men absent themselves from the p)olls it leaves control in the hands of evil men wvho are sure to elect officials of their own type; hence the corrup)t and inefficient mien In conclusion, thle speatker showed that ''American, politics is in a cha otic condition. There is now a political crisis. The parties are breaking up. The supreme hour for good men to take an activ'e p)art in politics has struck. There is a tide in the affairs of every nation which takenm at the flood1 lera on to rig eousness and peace. On such *a full sea are we now afloat." ASHTON WILLIAMS' ORATION. Outline of Speech Which Won Sec ond Place in State Contest. Mr. Williams' subject was, "Be hold, This Dreamer Cometh." He began with an allusion to the Bib lical character Joseph, who was scornfully called by his brothers "the dreamer." "Yet," said Mr. Vil liams, "Joseph alone was wise enough to provide food for a great famine and thus save his race." Joseph, the speaker asserted, has had his counterpart in every race. The world has steadfastly refused to receive with other than sneers its men of vision. There is a tendency abroad today to worship the practical mail, the men who have girdled the continent with rails. or reared in commercial centres great temples of industry: The world forgets, said Mr. \Vil liams, that its most practical men after all are those who in the secrecy of the cloister planned these great enterprises. "The practical man utilizes existing forces, but never creates; the dreamer both creates and utilizes his creation." Paul, in the religious, Carnegie, in the busi ness, Bismarck and Napoleon, in the political, and Edison, in the scientific world, were cited as types of the world's great dreamers. In conclusion, the speaker showed Sotith Carolina's great need for men of. vision. Th'ev are needed in this State in the solution of the edtuca /11 /1/ Pisu'g the ftr Big things later-but now p'leasures count-like Fatimas. 20 for WiAgfiac&!oiFggp 15 cents uc"' aa&&~meehcllm-n tional problems which confront us; they are needed in solving the race question ; needed to instil in the minds of the people of the State proper political conceptions; to regenerate social life, to develop a ricultural and mechanical indus ries. And in a thousand other ways may the dreamer, aid in promoting the progress and prosperity of the State. DR. AND MRS. G. A. WAUCHOPE ENTERTAIN Dr. and Mrs. George Armstrong Wauchope gave a reception on Tuesday afternoon to the members of Dr. Wauchope's fourth English class and Professor Bradley's first German class, of which Mrs. Wau chope is a member. The guests were received in the spacious hall, where refreshnents were served. Afterwards they were invited into the back yard, which had been transformed into a fairy land by myriads of Japanese lan terns. Here punch was served by several of the dainty little misses of thy campus. There were present about fifteen girls from out in town as well as the young ladies who reside on the cam pus. The party later adjourned to the drawing room, where those who felt themselves capable were given a chance to sing some old familiar songs. After singing Dr. Wau chope's "Health to Carolina" the students sought their several "bou doirs" around the campus, all ex pressing themselves as having spent a most delightful evening. (N 7 N.4 V4*